Chapter 133 Bloody Revenge (Part Two)

Grand Councilor Li turned to Li Yaoqi, and found that he seemed absent-minded, too. He was now sure that something bad had happened. But it was still early, and it was inconvenient for him to ask the Emperor directly. So he had to stayed seated and tried to figure out how to take leave and ask Li Yaoqi.

Emperor Ning examined everyone's expressions and tried to smile. His eyes reflected coldness. "Reward all the ladies who performed just now. Prince Jing, make sure the rewards are sent to their mansions. It's been a long day for everyone. Please rest. We have arranged for a bonfire party tonight. Let's meet at that time."

"Long live Your Majesty......" Everyone knelt on the ground. After Emperor Ning left, they stood.

The Empress, Yun Shang, and Prince Jing all followed Emperor Ning when he left. Only then did the people start to gossip. Though many of them had witnessed what had happened, there were still some who didn't know the whole truth. So they began exchanging information. Grand Councilor Li heard Hua Jing's name several times. He also noticed that everyone seemed to avoid eye contact with him every time they mentioned Hua Jing. Grand Councilor Li frowned. He beckoned to Li Yaoqi and led him to a quiet place. He looked around to make sure no one had followed them, and asked, "What happened when I was away?"

Li Yaoqi quickly knelt. "Grandpa, it was all my fault. It was my mistake. Qi'er* incriminated the Princess and the Empress......"

(*TN: Qi'er is how Li Yaoqi referred to himself.)

Of all his grandsons, Grand Councilor Li liked Li Yaoqi the most. Seeing him like this, the Grand Councilor knew that what had happened must have been serious. So he quickly asked, "What is going on?"

Li Yaoqi told him everything without missing a single detail. "When I was hunting, I saw a black bear, so I shot it. But Wang Jinhuan also shot it, which made the bear go wild. The injured beast ran around madly, so I followed it. When I found it at the edge of the forest, I saw that it was attacking Princess Hua Jing. Seeing that the Princess was thrown by the bear twice, I quickly took control of the bear. But Princess Hua Jing was already hurt and she was covered with blood. So I brought her back before I could think of anything......" Li Yaoqi hesitated before he continued. He looked up to peek at the Grand Councilor's face.

"Then what?" Grand Councilor frowned. The Empress looked upset as Hua Jing had been hurt. But something was still wrong. If it was only a matter of Hua Jing getting hurt, why would everyone avoid eye contact with him when they mentioned her?

Li Yaoqi found some time to organize his sentences. Then he said, "According to the physicians who were diagnosing Princes

First it was just a slight shake, then she sobbed. The Empress lay on her stomach on the ground. Her tears soaked the ground.

Emperor Ning followed Lord Zheng to the room where Hua Jing was staying. The moment he stepped in, he saw Yun Shang and Prince Jing. Seeing that Emperor Ning had arrived, Yun Shang and Prince Jing stood and bowed before him.

Emperor Ning nodded to them and asked, "Shang'er, brother, why don't you go rest?"

Yun Shang kept her head low and whispered, "Sister was badly injured, and I couldn't let her be alone. So I came to see her. Uncle came here to accompany me."

Emperor Ning locked his eyes with Prince Jing's and hesitated before he asked, "Is Hua Jing awake?"

As soon as Yun Shang nodded her head, a noise came from inside the room. Hua Jing must have heard Emperor Ning's voice, so she shouted, "Father, father, I don't know why I'm like this. I know nothing. I know nothing about it. I know nothing......"

Emperor Ning frowned. He walked pass the screen and approached the bed. Hua Jing's rosy face had lost all colors and she seemed pale. There were blood stains on her quilt. Hua Jing's eyes fixed on the empty ground of the room. It took her a while to find that Emperor Ning was around her. Hua Jing became excited. She grasped the hem of Emperor Ning's robe and quickly explained, "Father, trust me. I don't know how I ended up like this."

Emperor Ning sneered. "That's not what I've heard. The physician said that you were pregnant for more than three months. It's been three months, and you're telling me that you didn't know?" Hua Jing froze. Tears slid down from her cheeks. She kept shaking her head and murmured something that no one understood. Emperor Ning said, "I just want to know who the father is. If you give me his name, I will spare you this time......"